Volume: 59 Issue: 5
SEPTEMBER 23, 2015
driftwood.uno.edu
CAMPUS CRIME DOWN
Increased police visibility, local cooperation and new safety initiatives prove successful BY ANDREW LABORDE Driftwood Staff While it may seem like campus safety is a greater concern than ever for students, reports are actually showing a decrease in campus crime in recent years. In 2011, twelve burglaries occurred on campus, but only nine occurred in 2012 and 2013, according to the 2014 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which can be accessed by anyone on the University Police Department website. Motor vehicle theft numbers are also down, with five thefts in 2011 and four in 2012 and 2013 combined. Dr. Brett Kemker, Vice President for Student Affairs, backed the
University of New Orleans Police Department in their efforts to keep the university safe. “I’m real proud of what Chief [Thomas] Harrington and the police have done for UNO as far as keeping it safe, and their cooperation with New Orleans PD,” Kemker said. “Also, their cooperation with the levee police, and their cooperation with SUNO police, is one of the reasons why we have such a safe campus; [it] is because you have all those organizations working together. ” Kemker emphasized the visibility of the police force as a factor in the very few armed crimes that occur on campus, and their approachability as not only protectors of the UNO community but fellow members. UNOPD officers, according
to Kemker, are strategically placed all over campus at all times. The UNOPD is organized into four platoons with five officers in each platoon, working 24 hours a day. An aspect of the visibility and approachability of the UNOPD is the Coffee with a Cop program, which began in 2013 as a way for current and potential students, as well as parents, to spend time with the officers. It is an informal event where the UNO community can interact in a friendly atmosphere with the police force. While Kemker acknowledges that Privateer Place has had problems with crime in the past, he intends to transform it into a safer place for everyone. “The problem [with crime in Privateer Place] seems to arise not from our stu-
dents, but from other people living in Privateer Place,” said Kemker. The UNO community may remember the lockdown last January where a man involved in a car chase with NOPD officers crashed and abandoned his vehicle on campus and was later apprehended in Pontchartrain Hall North. Following that incident, Student Housing has held an active shooter seminar every semester hosted by the FBI. Mike Brauninger, the Director of Student Housing, said the program is geared toward helping the staff of Student Housing and Privateer Place to assist and direct the residents and students in case of such a situation. “We have 58 cameras throughout the hall, both parking lots, all public areas have cameras on them.
The state-of-the-art video system is monitored at both front desks. I monitor it, and campus police monitor it,” said Brauninger in regard to safety in the dorms. Students should be aware of the option of an escort from a police officer when they feel the need for one, especially at night. Other safety tips from the UNOPD include registering your bicycle, attending a self-defense class which is taught by UNOPD, and traveling in groups at unsafe times of the night. At orientation for incoming students living in the dorms, Brauninger hosts a presentation on safety, which informs parents and students of safety protocol in the dorms. The UNOPD can be reached at 504-280-6666.